Watch Gaon

Gaon is a gripping drama film that was released in 2018. The movie is a thoughtful exploration of the complexities of rural life in India which transports the audience to a remote village in North India. The story centers on a young man named Nandu (Shadab Kamal), who after living in the city for most of his life, returns to his ancestral village during a nationwide electricity blackout to sell his family's farmland. But once he sets foot in the village, he becomes enmeshed in a web of twisted relationships, inherited secrets, and entrenched customs that will put his sanity and well-being to the test.

The film opens on a white screen with the words "Once Upon A Time In A Village In India" written in bold letters. This scene transitions into a shot of Nandu's taxi making its way down a bumpy dirt road, past rice fields and cows grazing on the side of the road. As he approaches his house, he is greeted by his ailing father, and his scrawny younger brother; a hyperactive boy with big dreams of becoming a Bollywood star.

Nandu's father is an old-school farmer, proud of his land and the traditions of the villagers. But the rest of the village seems to be split into two factions, each with their own grievances and claims over the land that Nandu wants to sell. As he tries to navigate the tricky terrain, he meets a range of colorful characters, including an eccentric aunt who believes she's still living in the British Raj era, a lonesome widower, a cunning moneylender, a promiscuous shopkeeper, and a righteous priest.

But perhaps the most significant person Nandu encounters is his childhood sweetheart, Rupi (Neha Mahajan), who has also returned to the village after having lived in Mumbai for several years. Rupi is now married to a cruel and violent man (Dibyendu Bhattacharya) who takes pleasure in tormenting her and is the source of much of the drama and tension in the film. Nandu and Rupi's rekindled romance is one of the few moments of joy and hope in the otherwise depressing and bleak backdrop.

Director Gautam Singh has created a slow-burning, atmospheric milieu that captures the rhythms and textures of rural India with stunning cinematography featuring vast landscapes and shots of villagers going about their daily routines. The film's pacing is deliberately slow, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the vivid and authentic world of Nandu's village.

The acting in Gaon is superb, with Shadab Kamal and Neha Mahajan delivering nuanced and heartfelt performances as the two lovers caught in a web of circumstance. Dibyendu Bhattacharya's portrayal of the abusive husband is bone-chilling, and the rest of the supporting cast provides excellent support in their respective roles.

Overall, Gaon is a rich, evocative film that offers a sobering glimpse into the harsh realities of rural life. It illuminates the ways in which the modern world clashes with the old, conservative ways of thinking, and exposes the corruption, greed, and systemic oppression that often go unchecked in rural societies. It's a film that lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled, leaving behind a haunting and poignant portrait of life in the Indian countryside.